1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to augmented reality and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for tracking and geolocating objects of interest.
2. Description of the Related Art
Currently, binoculars are entirely optical devices allowing users to zoom in on a particular real world area from a long distance. If a user is attempting to view precise movements of an object at a distance, such as a car, truck or person, the user is able to use a binocular lens switching mechanism to change to a different magnification. In other binoculars, a “zooming” function is provided which can vary magnification ranges using a switch or lever. However, once the user increases magnification level, the user may experience difficulty in finding the object of interest within the “zoomed” scene.
Further, in conventional binocular system, if there are several binocular users in communication and one user has identified one or more objects of interest such as interesting wildlife, people, or the like, difficulty arises in signaling the location of the object of interest to other binocular users. The user who sighted the object of interest may use landmarks, but this method is imprecise and landmarks may not be in view of other user's binocular systems. In addition there may be several similar landmarks, making it more difficult to identify the precise location of objects of interest.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for a method and apparatus for precisely determining the geolocation of distant objects, in addition to tracking and sharing of the location for those objects.